Searching for a Light in the Darkness
by sweetprincess16
Summary: A year after arriving in Mineral Town, Jill struggles to bring the farm back to working order despite her extreme disability. What she hasn't noticed is how many bachelors have thier eyes on her. HMMFOMT JillxCliff, Gray, Doctor, Kai, & Rick
1. Welcome to Crescent Moon Farm

**Hello, and welcome to my new fanfic!! if you already know me...hi. if not, thanks for lookin and go ahead and look at my 'avatar: the last airbender' fic. **

**ok, author's note: i'm still not sure where this is going...kind of sad because i've already made like ten chapters. thus, this fic is subject to droppage. on the other hand, ten chapters are guaranteed, so don't stop reading :) also, i know this chapter is pretty slow, but i want to set the scene up--no love associations, no friends, just plain Jill. hope you enjoy**

Jill straightened her back and groaned. Watering all of her crops had become such a hassle since she added that extra row of potatoes. She gently massaged her lower back and walked toward the barn. At least the hard work was done.

The smell of freshly cut hay and manure reached Jill as soon as she stepped through the threshold. Most of the city-girls that she had known before she moved would have been disgusted with her line of work, but farming was Jill's greatest joy. She liked nothing better than waking up in the morning to do the daily chores.

Tess and Jessie lumbered toward Jill slowly, lowing loudly. Jill smiled, "yeah, yeah. Just let me milk you first." They both mooed again, nuzzling her hands. Jill laughed softly and took her rucksack from her back.

After feeling around for a moment, she withdrew a long silver device from the small backpack. "I really should get a bigger rucksack," she told Tess as she attached a nozzle of the device to each of Tess's udders.

Tessela had been Jill's first cow. She had to forage for herbs in the mountain for a season and a half in order to earn enough money. Jill remembered back to the times when every penny was scrimped and every crop was sold. Even Barley, the owner of Yodel Ranch, had been impressed with her dedication.

As the silver device whirred away beneath the great cow, Jill extracted her horse-hair brush from her rucksack. She gently brushed the animal, and remembered Tess's first day on the farm. Back then, Tess wasn't able to produce any milk at all. The heifer had changed a lot since those days. Now, she was able to produce L Milk easily.

Jill turned to the other, younger cow. Jessie was the second cow on Crescent Moon Farm, and, according to Barley, the child of the most successful cow from Yodel Ranch. Jill had never been sure if the old man was being honest or just trying to fill Jill's stable. She smiled to herself as she brushed the animal. It worked out for her, either way.

Jill turned back to Tess. The milking machine had stopped whirring, meaning that it was done. Jill bent down and lifted the machine and the pail of milk. Ever since Tess had become pregnant, she could only produce S Milk. Sighing, Jill put the machine and S Milk into her rucksack. She was glad that Tess would have a baby, but it meant a pretty big cutback in the net income.

Tess lowed again, happy with the attention she was receiving. Jill laughed heartily, "Okay, okay, I get it. You want food now." Jill strode over to the small window overflowing with hay. Grabbing the pitchfork that was leaning against the wall, Jill stabbed at the bales and lifted the heavy fodder into a feeding trough. Repeating the motion, Jill filled the second trough. She still hadn't gotten the motion completely right—she always ended up with at least a few straws in her hair.

Tess and Jessie lumbered to their respective troughs and mooed soulfully before they lowered their great heads and ate. Jill laughed again, "You're welcome. It was my pleasure." She waved goodbye to her two cows as she left the barn.

The warm sunlight met her outside. Spring was the greatest time of year for Jill. The weather is beautiful, the crops grow well, and foraging is good. Spring even smelled good. With all of the toy flowers in bloom, it was hard not to be filled with joy. Not to mention it was Jill's second year on the farm.

Jill raised her hand to her lips, whistling shrilly. Within the moment, Jill's large, chocolate horse trotted to her master. Neighing softly, Jackie lowered her soft nuzzle to Jill's hand.

Jill smiled as she kissed Jackie between her eyes "hey, Sweetie, how are you?" Jill pulled the small brush from her rucksack again, and stroked Jackie gently with it.

Jacquelyn arrived at Crescent Moon Farm just after Tessala did. Barley had arrived one day, in the middle of the afternoon, with the small mare with him. He made Jill promise to take care of Jackie and to raise her for inspection in a year.

"But we'll pass the inspection, won't we, baby?" Jill brushed at Jackie's mane tentatively. Only recently, Jill was able to start riding Jackie. The first time that happened, however, Jill had almost broken her neck from falling. She loved Jackie, but Jill preferred to walk.

"Later, Darling. You have fun," Jackie whinnied loudly as she trotted back to the fields.

Jill went over her mental checklist again. Crops were done, Cows were done, Jackie was done. All that remained were the chickens.

A loud, yapping noise rose from Jill's feet. "And you, of course, Max." Jill's small, honey-colored dog yapped again. Laughing, Jill scooped the tiny puppy into her arms and started walking towards the chicken coop. Max held a very special place in her heart—after all, he was the first animal on the farm to begin with. The very first day of the farm, Max was found hiding in the corner of the aged dog house. Since then, the doghouse had been rebuilt, thanks to the carpenter Gotz, and the puppy had grown into a dog.

"You'll still be my little puppy, though, right?" Max licked Jill's cheek in response before wriggling out of her grasp and leaping back to the ground.

"Good idea. You'd just get into a fight with the chickens." Max yapped one last time, and ran away to wherever he went during the day. Jill reached out and grabbed the door handle of the coop.

She hated to admit it, but Jill didn't enjoy the chickens quite as much as she did the other animals. The chickens were just more noisy, more impatient, more violent when it came to their food. Even as Jill thought this, the feathered rats gathered around her feet, pecking at her boots and overalls.

"Okay! Take it easy!" Jill grabbed the chicken feed from a window in a corner of the small room. Grabbing a few handfuls, she scattered the feed as widely as she could in order to avoid as much chicken-fighting as possible. Of course, it didn't work out. The oldest hen, Nicky, alternated between gobbling as many grains of food as she could and pecking at any of the other five chickens.

Jill sighed and walked out. In her earlier days, all of the noise from Nicky had scared her. But she knew now that no one ever got seriously injured. Thank God Tess and Jessie weren't like that. The cows would have torn each other apart.

Jill smiled to herself again. She had really turned the farm around. The first days, indeed the first few seasons, had been nothing short of nightmarish. Struggling to figure out each instrument, struggling to figure out each animal, and even struggling to survive within Mineral Village had been hard work.

Jill breathed deeply. It wasn't without its benefits, of course. Compared to the city…

Well, she didn't like to compare things to the city. But still, the farm had made Jill strong and independent. And these were the greatest achievements for anyone…

…especially for a blind girl.


	2. Gotz

Jill walked into her small house. The one roomed cottage was practically bare. A bed, a TV, a tool chest, and a small table made up most of the furnishings, plus a calendar on the wall and a mirror next to it. Even if she was blind, it felt spacious now that Jill had purchased the house extension.

She smiled to herself and clicked the television on. Bright, happy voices erupted from the small box. It had been no small achievement to get that extension. Halfway through last summer…

_Jill carefully removed the axe from her rucksack, feeling the blade to make sure that it would hit the stump. She raised the instrument high over her head and brought it down with all of her force. _

_She heard a huge CRACK, but it didn't sound like the wood was splitting. Her face construed in confusion as she lifted the ax to her right hand, searching for the blade. There was only a long piece of wood with a small fragment of metal at the end. Jill's eyes widened as she kneeled to the grass and felt the ground. Just as she expected, dozens of small fragments of metal littered the ground. _

"_You should have known better than to try to cut wood like that." A gruff voice sounded behind Jill. Startled, she rose to her feet and faced the voice._

"_Even city folk should know to split wood with the sharp edge of the blade." The voice said again._

_Jill laughed embarrassedly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, I guess I just wasn't paying attention. My name's Jill, by the way. I'm running the farm over there." She pointed behind her._

"…_You do know that that's the way to Goddess Lake?"_

_Jill laughed again nervously, "hehe, my mistake again."_

"…_And you haven't taken my hand."_

"_Wha-" then it struck Jill. He had been holding his hand out for a handshake, and she hadn't noticed. "Oh, I'm so sorry."_

_Jill made a grab in the air for the man's hand, only to meet thin air. After a moment of more confused grasping, a large, calloused hand grabbed hers and shook. _

"_So you're…" the voice trailed off._

"_blind? Yeah, but I get by." Jill ran her hand through her hair once the man had let go of it. "But enough about me. What's your name?"_

_The voice laughed heartily, "I like you already. Name's Gotz. I'm the town carpenter. I'd offer to build something for you, but it looks like you don't have any lumber."_

_Jill closed her eyes and sighed, "yeah, and no way to get any…"_

"_You could buy some from me." Gotz offered._

_Jill shrugged, "I don't have any money. I was hoping to earn enough by the time I had chopped enough wood. I really need to rebuild the roof of my barn."_

_Gotz sighed heavily, "A farmer with a leaky barn isn't much of a farmer."_

_Jill chuckled, "Ouch. It's not like it's my fault."_

"_Tell you what," Gotz voice was bright, "I'll give you lumber if you do some chores for me everyday. You could do that, right?"_

"_Of course!" Jill beamed, "Just wait, I can make a great stew!"_

"_You can cook?"_

_Jill laughed again, "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I don't have taste buds."_

_Gotz laughed with her, "in that case, if your food is as good as you say it is, you don't need to clean the house. And if you agree to make me that stew, I'll rebuild your roof right now."_

"_Deal!" Jill squealed, grabbing his hand (the first time) and shaking it._

Ever since then, Jill had visited Gotz at least three times a week to make lunch for him. In exchange, she had earned enough material to get the house extension.

She laughed to herself. Sometimes it felt like she was a housewife cooking for her husband, but they had established long ago that it was a payment plan. Besides, Gotz was more of a father than a lover.

"_Tomorrow will be wonderful Spring weather again. And look out for the Thanksgiving festival next week!" _The television blared.

"…Thanksgiving Festival?" Jill mused, clicking off the television. There hadn't been anything like that in the city. Well, there was Thanksgiving, but wasn't that in the fall? Turkey wasn't in season in the Spring.

As Jill thought, she paced to the unoccupied area of her house. Gotz told her that a kitchen was supposed to go there. Jill sighed longingly at the thought: her very own kitchen! Cooking was another one of those simple pleasures that she enjoyed, so much so that cooking for Gotz had become less of a chore and more of a hobby. She was supposed to buy the kitchen from the Saturday TV shopping network, but she hadn't had enough money.

Jill sighed and strode over to where the mirror was supposed to be. She realized how silly it was to stand in front of a mirror and primp when she couldn't see herself, but it was just a force of habit. She brushed her hair gently with a small comb, being careful to remove all of the hay from her hair.

If she remembered correctly, she had long, honey-colored hair that waved gently with the breeze. But who knows? Maybe it had turned green over the past ten years. She also remembered having bright, blue eyes that flashed gold whenever they caught sunlight. She knew for sure that her figure was small and trim, and that it had slimmed slightly since taking over the farm.

Jill sighed again. It was definitely a drag to be unable to see what you look like. On the other hand, it never really mattered in the end. One way or another, Jill was who she was.

Jill left the mirror and walked to the door. Now that the chores were done, she needed to run errands around town. She needed some chicken feed, now that last year's supply of corn had run dry. She could also use another bag or two of turnip seeds. The harvest sprites needed to be visited. Who knows, maybe she'll stop by the inn for a cup of tea.

And, of course, she needed to visit all of her friends around town.


	3. Meeting Gray

**hey, im back. okay, so here's another flashback chapter. sorry, but im going to have quite a few of these. on the plus side, this chapter goes to everybody's favorite emo...GRAY!!! ill be honest, i never could figure out why he was so popular. his anti-socialness annoys me...**

**anyway...on with the story!!!**

Jill stepped onto the cobblestone road after exiting Crescent Moon Farm. Long ago, she had struggled desperately to find her way around town. Someone had told her once that it was a confusing layout anyway, even with sight. But still, Jill had only memorized each road last fall. True, she was still a little rusty around the town square and around the beach, but she managed.

She took the first right, being careful not to knock into the fences that lined the road. At least she didn't have to worry about being hit by a car out here in the country. The technology was so poor in Mineral Town that everyone was forced to walk. Naturally, it didn't bother Jill much, but Karen, the daughter of the owner, complained bitterly about walking.

Jill felt the ground beneath her feet turn into smooth stone. She was right in front of the blacksmith's shop. This was where she met Gray and Saibara…

_Jill breathed heavily outside of the building. Gotz had described the blacksmith's shop in full detail, including directions on how to get there. "Kind of strange that you've been here half a season and you still haven't met anyone." He had said. Jill had laughed at that, but she agreed quietly. _

_She had told Gotz her plans of raising cows, and he insisted that she buy the brush before even thinking about cows. She didn't have much money, but she figured that she could always come back later._

_After twisting the doorknob and pushing the door open, a loud shout erupted from the room._

"_You know I can do it! I've been training with hammers forever, I can repair this one!" a young man's voice erupted._

"_You aren't ready yet. Until you've shown me how well you can do this, I cannot allow you to handle a customer's tool!" An old man's voice shouted right back._

_Jill cleared her throat quietly and almost whispered, "um…hello?"_

"_WE'RE CLOSED!" the young man's voice had turned on Jill, surprising her immensely. _

"_Oh, I-I'm so sorry. I didn't realize." Jill backed up nervously and tripped over what she assumed was a workbench. Loud clattering noises rang throughout the building as Jill stumbled up and out the door._

"_I'm really sorry about that!" Jill muttered as she finally found her way to the door._

"_Gray! That is no way to treat a customer! This is why I don't allow you…"_

_Jill had run away so fast that the old man's voice became a distant hum. Glad to be out of that situation, she slowed her pace to a walk. It only took a couple of steps for her to realize that she had no idea where she was. _

_Along an unfamiliar road with no telling where even the nearest building was, Jill started panicking. Had she run too far? Was she completely out of the village already? Her breathing became shallow. What was she going to do now?_

"_Hey" _

_Jill almost didn't recognize the voice when it was only at speaking volume. It was the younger guy from the blacksmith's shop, Gray._

"_Hey" Jill muttered, still embarrassed from stumbling into a fight and over a workbench._

_Gray sighed, "Look," he sounded embarrassed, too, "I'm sorry about shouting at you. I just…"_

_Gray didn't speak for a minute, seemingly lost in thought. Jill, not wanting to be rude but also anxious to leave, turned around._

"_Don't worry about it. Everyone has their off days. If you'll excuse me." Jill started to walk in the opposite direction._

_A hand grabbed her arm before she had even taken a step. "No, you don't understand." Gray said._

_Jill turned back around to face Gray. She was very close to him—she could feel his body heat against her. She tried not to act too embarrassed._

"_Then make me understand. It's one thing to shout at me, but now you're grabbing me and telling me that I don't understand you." Her voice was quiet and soft, but stern._

_Gray let go of her arm, obviously even more embarrassed than he was before. "Sorry…again."_

"_It's okay."_

"_It's just that…I've been working for my grandfather for a long time, but he still doesn't trust me. Sometimes, I just don't think I'm good enough to become a blacksmith…" Gray trailed off into his own thoughts again._

"…_Is that all?" Jill asked quietly._

"_What?"_

_Jill sighed, "well, it seems like you have two choices. You could give up and move out, you know, get on with your life. Or, you could keep trying…you strike me as a guy who doesn't give up that easily, though." Jill smiled good-naturedly._

"_Yeah…" Gray's voice sounded happier already, "…you're right."_

"_My name is Jill, by the way. I'm running the Crescent Moon Farm."_

"_All by yourself? Isn't that a little…well…impossible?" Jill had only known Gray for about five minutes and he already sounded worried for her._

_Jill laughed, "Well, a lot of people say that, but it's easier than you would think."_

"_Glad to hear that. It was good to meet you, but I've gotta get back to Grandpa."_

_Jill smiled broadly, "Right, see you later!" Then it hit her. She didn't know where she was. _

"_Wait!" she shouted to Gray._

"…_you don't need to shout. I haven't moved yet…" Gray's voice was only a meter away, but Jill had shouted so loud that he could have heard her if he was a football field away._

"_Oh…right…sorry…" Jill rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment "I…um…didn't notice…Oh! But could you tell me how to get back to my farm?"_

"…_It's straight down the road. Look, you can even see it from h—Oh…" by the sound of Gray's voice, he had just realized._

"_Yeah, didn't notice again. Can't see…" Jill looked down, a little embarrassed that she had gotten lost less than a mile from her farm._

_Gray didn't speak for a moment, obviously embarrassed from not having noticed Jill's blindness. On the other hand, the silence was excruciating._

"_How about I walk you back to your farm—as an apology." Gray said the last part just a little too quickly, making Jill smile._

"_Sure."_

Ever since then, Gray had been a good friend to Jill. On more than one occasion, he helped her find her way around town when she got lost. He was still a little standoffish, though. Jill was usually the one that had to strike up a conversation…not exactly easy when you can't see the person walk up to you. But he was still a big help, nonetheless.

Gray even rebuilt Jill's axe, free of charge. He said that it was because she had convinced him not to give up, but Jill knew that it was because Gray wanted to try rebuilding it to show Saibara that he could. It took a couple of tries, but Gray managed not only to rebuild the tool, but to upgrade it to the silver level as well. He didn't even make Jill go into the mines to find a silver ore.

She didn't have the heart to tell him that she still never used the axe, although she would occasionally compliment the sturdiness of it. Her praise had always fallen on receptive ears, because as soon as she mentioned the good quality of a tool, Gray's voice would brighten and he would instantly become cheerful. Every time Gray complained about his grandfather's harsh training, Jill would comment on how he had improved so much or how great his potential was. She knew that that always made him smile.

She made a mental note to visit him soon.


	4. Meeting Rick

**hey guys! ok, so this chapter is for Rick. Does anyone out there like him? I mean, i'll be honest, i think he's kind of a loser :P not too nice, but that's how i feel about it. i still want to give him props tho, but if you havent already guessed, I'll die before i let my character end up with chicken boy :((**

**but enjoy the chapter anyway**

"Okay, first stop is the Poultry Farm." Jill said to herself.

"Hey! Jill! Good to see you!" a bright voice shouted in her direction.

"Rick! Great to see you, too!...Sort of…" Jill shouted back, laughing at her own joke.

"Haha, good one." Rick raced to a stop in front of her.

Rick was another one of her good friends. He was a lot more up-front than Gray was, but a lot less serious.

_Gotz had told Jill that she could increase her income by getting some chickens. Supposedly, they were pretty cheap and easy to take care of. "The place to start is at Lilia's chicken farm." He said._

_Jill reached the farm relatively easily. It was only a couple of blocks away. Jill could feel the dirt beneath her feet as she stepped into the area._

"_LOOKOUT!"_

"_Wha—" Jill looked toward the voice, but she was knocked down by something small and feathery. Its claws quickly became entangled with Jill's long hair, capturing the writhing animal._

"_Ah—AHH—OUCH—" its claws slashed through the air, coming in contact with Jill's left cheek._

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" a young man's voice panicked, lifting the chicken out of Jill's hair._

"_Plato was just trying to run away. I tried to chase after him, but he got to you first. I'm SO sorry" the voice said quickly._

_Jill sat up. Mats of blonde hair swung into her face, tangled horribly. One twisted lock fell against her cheek, making her wince._

"_It's—ah—It's okay. Just an—ouch—accident." Jill ran a dusty hand through her hair, only extracting it after a minute of painful pulling._

"_I'm so sorry. I can clean you up at the house. Let me help you up." _

_Jill lifted her hand into the air, trying to grab his hand but only catching air. Déjà vu._

"_Oh, here." The boy grabbed her hand and pulled her up._

"_My name's Rick. I live here with my mom and my sister, Popuri. I guess she can help you…clean up." He said kindly._

"_Thanks," said Jill, "I could use…some cleanliness."_

_Rick laughed and led Jill towards his house. After tripping on the stairs ("sorry…didn't see them") they went into a cool, shady house._

"_Rick? Who's this?" A soft, older woman's voice said._

"_Oh, good question." Rick (presumably) turned to Jill._

"_My name's Jill. I took over the Crescent Moon Farm a little while ago." Jill smiled good-naturedly._

"_You poor thing. It must be so hard on you. I couldn't imagine trying to work that farm into shape by myself." The woman said. Jill had to laugh a little to herself. This woman was definitely the motherly type. Classic._

"_It's not as hard as you would think. I get along just fine." Jill lied. It was definitely anything but easy. As she told Gotz everyday, this job was going to drive her insane._

"_Plato just attacked her, Mom, and I offered to get her cleaned up." Rick piped up._

_The woman gasped, "you poor dear! That chicken will be the death of me. Let me just get my daughter, she'll help you." Jill heard the woman walk across the room. "POPURI!"_

_Footsteps walked down a flight of stairs. "Yeah, mom?" a young girl's voice._

"_Could you please help Jill get cleaned up?"_

_Popuri paused for a minute, either looking Jill up and down or trying to think of some excuse not to do it._

"_Okay." Apparently, it was the first one._

"_Come on, let's go to my room!" Popuri grabbed Jill's hand and took off, up the stairs. Jill stumbled more than once trying to keep up._

_Eventually, Popuri stopped "Okay, where to start…where to start…"_

_Jill laughed, "is it really that bad?"_

"_Well, it isn't just some quick fixer-upper," Popuri returned, seating Jill on a stool and running a comb through her hair. "Just wait, I'll make you look fabulous."_

_Jill smiled gratefully, "Thank you so much." _

_Popuri worked silently for a few minutes, obviously having trouble trying to work out all of Jill's tangles. Jill was just trying not to cry out in pain. Suddenly, she wasn't so eager to get a chicken…_

"_So why are you in Mineral Town?" Popuri asked after disentangling a particularly nasty lock of hair. _

"_Ouch…I'm taking over Crescent Moon Farm…Oww" Jill shuddered from the comb._

"_Almost done…why would you take over that pile of junk—Sorry—seems like a waste of money."_

"_I—Ah—have my reasons." _

_Popuri stopped brushing, Jill prayed that she was done, "Sorry you had to come here. Mineral Town is about as dull as you can get." Popuri ran some sort of cream over Jill's scratched cheek._

"_It's not so bad." Jill said, "But I haven't met very many people yet."_

"_Don't worry about that. This town is so tiny, it'll take you a week tops to meet everyone…That cream should clear up that scratch nicely."_

"_Thanks," Jill ran a hand through her (thankfully) straight hair, "it feels better already." Jill stood up from the stool and walked towards the door._

"_That's the—" Jill slammed into a wall "…wrong way." Popuri finished quietly._

_Jill rubbed her aching nose, "yeah…I figured."_

"…_so you're…" _

"_Pssh…everyone says it like it's a disease. Yeah, I'm blind, but it's really no big deal." Jill faced Popuri and put her hands on her hips._

"_Woah, sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Popuri grabbed Jill's hand and put her back on the stool._

"_Wait, I thought we were done." Jill's frustration changed instantly to surprise._

"_I said I'd make you look fabulous, and that's what I'm going to do." Popuri ran a soft brush over Jill's face._

"_Is that…make-up? Please don't put make-up on me. I'll never be able to get the stuff off," Jill begged, clasping her hands together for dramatic effect._

_Popuri laughed, "No deal. Trust me, you look hotter already!" she started tracing Jill's eyes with what felt like a pencil._

_Jill sighed, defeated, "fine, fine. But if it looks horrible, you're going to hell for making fun of the blind."_

_Popuri laughed even harder at that. Jill prayed that she really wasn't making some cruel joke. She'd never had make-up on before, so she wasn't sure how it was supposed to feel. Right now, it felt kind of…fake._

"_So tell me about you're family. How did you come to Mineral Town?" Jill questioned, trying to forget about the stuff on her face._

"_Well, Rick and I were born here, and I'm not really sure how my parents got here." She said, carefully spreading a different cream over Jill's cheeks._

"_Speaking of which, I didn't hear your dad down there."_

_Popuri stopped spreading the cream over Jill's skin for a moment, "He—he left a long time ago."_

"_Oh," Jill could sense the problem. Paternal abandonment. It happened a lot at the city, but it was probably a lot worse in a town this small._

"_How about your mom and Rick?" Jill quickly tried to change the subject, trying not to sound too eager._

"_Oh, them?" Popuri's voice immediately brightened, "Rick is my older brother…he has long sandy hair and glasses, by the way. Total nerd."_

_Jill laughed, "Thanks for the info."_

"_Haha, no problem." She started twisting Jill's hair into a ponytail, "as for my mom, her name is Lilia. Pink hair and bright red eyes, like me. She gets sick really easily, so Rick and I take care of the chickens as much as possible. We've pretty much been doing that for the past…I don't know…ten years." Popuri backed up, "finished. Finally!"_

_Jill stood up. She'd never wished to see a mirror more badly than she did right now. She did trust that Popuri did a good job, but instincts told her that it was better safe than sorry. It didn't exactly matter though—she was blind after all._

"_Thanks! So I guess I have to make my grand debut now?" Jill spun around in a circle._

_Popuri giggled, "you're audience awaits!"_

_They both laughed together as Popuri led Jill down the stairs and back into the main room. The chattering between Rick and Lilia suddenly stopped once Jill reached the bottom._

"_Well, how does she look?" Popuri stomped her foot impatiently at the silence._

"_You look wonderful, Jill! Very lovely! You did a great job Popuri." Lilia gushed. Jill smiled, Rick and Popuri were lucky to have her as a mom._

"_Well, Rick? What about you?" Popuri turned to the young boy._

"_Jill…you look…" Rick's voice seemed strangely dreamier, almost far away without being far away._

_Jill cocked her head to the side, "Look what?"_

"…_better." Rick said finally, snapping back to his regular voice._

_Jill laughed, "From what Popuri said, that's not saying much."_

"_Don't worry, he loves it. You should see the look on his face. It's pricele—" Popuri was cut off from a loud stomping noise._

"_Rick! Don't hit your sister!" Lilia shouted, assuming the role of mother again._

"_He hit her..?" Jill questioned._

_The three became silent. Jill could feel them staring at her as if she was insane, "Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you two…I'm blind."_

_Lilia audibly gasped, Rick stood speechless, and Popuri just bust out laughing, "You mean you didn't NOTICE?! It's kind of obvious, the way she trips all over herself!"_

_Jill smiled broadly, "remember what I said about making fun of the blind, Popuri," she said jokingly._

_Lilia didn't pick up on the joke, "You poor dear! That's it, I was skeptical at first, but now you simply cannot work that farm all by yourself. I'll send Rick to help you everyday."_

_Jill's eyes widened, "No, no, you don't need to do that. Really I'm doing okay!"_

_But Lilia wasn't listening to Jill, "Rick, I want you to finish your chores here and then go to Jill's farm immediately afterwards everyday. And no excuses, young man."_

"_No, really, I don't need the help! I don't even have any animals yet—"_

"_Okay, mom! I'll do it" Rick said enthusiastically._

_Jill groaned, "will you two LISTEN?!" Rick, Lilia, and Popuri immediately stopped their conversation. Jill normally had a very soft voice, but it could be thunderous if she was moved to it. "Look, I appreciate the offer. Really, I do. But I can do this on my own." Jill quieted her voice once again._

_Lilia sighed slightly, "If you say so, dear. But if there are any problems—ANY problems at all—I can always send Rick or Popuri."_

_Jill smiled, "Thank you. I'll be sure to let you know."_

_With that, Jill and the family said their goodbyes to one another, and Jill left._

Since then, she would come to visit Lilia's farm every once in a while just to check up on the family. Jill, Rick, and Popuri had become friends easily.

"So how's Nicky doing?" Rick asked, snapping Jill out of her momentary relapse.

"Oh, my chicken? She's great. Just as foul and nasty as ever. Speaking of which how's Plato?" Jill returned.

Rick winced. He never really liked it when Jill made fun of the chickens. After all, they were very gentle…some are just more gentle than others.

"Good. She hasn't attacked any of the chicks recently."

But Rick never told Jill how much it bothered him. After all, she had been attacked by the bird about a year ago. Anyone would be at least a little uncaring if they had been attacked the first time they ever saw a chicken.

Jill laughed, "that's good to hear. Listen, I need some chicken feed for the girls back home. How much will…I don't know…100g get me?"

_Only enough feed for two days,_ Thought Rick.

"About five days' worth," he said cheerfully.

Jill sighed, "I guess I can spare 200g in that case. If I don't get enough for at least ten days, those chickens are going to hate me."

Rick laughed, "Don't sweat it. There's always enough feed to go around."

Rick walked into the chicken coop and returned a moment later with five bags of feed. Jill flashed one last smile, and walked out of Poultry Farm.

The young man watched as the blind farmer strolled away, her golden hair swishing and flashing in the sun.

And he kept watching her until she turned the corner, out of sight.


	5. Meeting Cliff

**Hello again! chapter five is up, and its devoted to one of my favorites--cliff! but this doesn't mean that he's going to be the final guy. honestly, i really don't know who its going to be (not rick). anyway, for the first time ever, i'm going to post responses to my reviews :D so yall better review everytime!!**

**IheartLewis: haha no. trust me, it won't be rick**

**AwesomeRapidash: just because i don't like rick doesnt mean im going to bash him :) he'd make a good best friend...just not a good boyfriend. thanks for the compliments**

**fennecfox03: thanks!! love ur comments :D**

**ok, without further ado, heres CHAPTER FIVE!!!**

Jill exited the harvest sprites' tiny shack.

"Are you sure you don't want any help with your farm-badum?" asked a tiny creature clothed in red.

"No," Jill smiled, "But thanks for the offer!"

Seven sprites waved to her as she walked down the pathway, each calling one last "goodbye" before the farmer walked out of earshot.

The harvest sprites were extremely friendly little elves that lived near the church. Jill would occasionally bring them gifts and occasionally they would invite her to a tea party. They were a kind bunch, always willing to help, but Jill always turned the offer down. She simply couldn't ask for help…

"Hello, Jillian." A kind, soft voice called to her.

"Oh, hello Pastor Carter!" Jill responded, waving to the man.

"How is your farm? Getting along well, I suppose?"

Jill beamed, "Yup!"

Pastor Carter ran the church in Mineral Town. Jill would occasionally leave her farm to go hear one of his sermons. She loved to hear his soft, warm voice echo throughout the grand church.

"How about Cliff? What's he doing these days?"

Carter's broad smile faded slowly, "the same. He comes to the church everyday and we talk, but…he is lacking direction."

Jill nodded knowingly.

_She stepped into the cool, marble church. Immediately, Jill could feel the calm, serene peace that can only be associated with a house of the Harvest Goddess. Jill put her hands out in front of her, and came in contact with a wooden bench. The pews. _

"_Hello, my child."_

_Jill looked up. "Hello?"_

"_Have you come here for the service? I'm afraid I only give sermons on Sunday."_

"_Oh, no. I'm just going around the town, looking in on the different buildings." Jill stopped, "I-I didn't come at a bad time did I?"_

_The man's voice laughed, "This is a church, child. It is never a bad time."_

_Jill grinned, "good. My name is Jill."_

"_And mine is Carter. Enjoy your time here."_

"_I will. Thank you, Father." Jill sat down in one of the pews, planning to rest for a few minutes. The church was pretty much on the other side of the town, and when you factor in how many times Jill got lost, she must have walked at least three miles._

"_Jill?" Carter's voice returned._

_Jill jumped in her seat, "Oh—what?"_

"_I'm sorry to bother you again, but I wanted to ask a favor." His soft voice was pleading—imploring, really. Jill was dead tired, but she couldn't just say no to Carter before she heard what he needed._

"_Oh, sure. Of course."_

"_There's a boy in the front row of the church. He's new to the town, and he needs to talk to someone. Could you meet him?"_

_Jill laughed with relief, "Of course!" She didn't exactly expect that Carter would ask something terrible or vile of her, but she was glad that it was something so simple. "But you have to lead me to him. I can't really see him."_

"_Oh…"_

_Jill sighed. Nobody ever notices without her telling them…or without her looking like a complete klutz._

_Carter grabbed her hand and led her to the front. Eventually, they stopped._

"_Cliff," Carter said, "this is Jill. She's new to the town, just like you. I think you two should get to know each other."_

_Jill sighed again. Why did she feel like the daughter of a man trying to set her up on a date? Nonetheless, she sat down on the wooden bench and folded her hands, waiting for Cliff to say something. _

…_He didn't say anything…Jill could feel that horrible, awkward silence around their area. _

_She couldn't take it. "Isn't this church peaceful? Do you come here a lot?" She said, turning to the man named Cliff._

"…_I'm over here." He said…from the opposite direction that Jill was facing._

"_Oh, sorry!" Jill blushed and turned back around._

_Another silence crept into the church, as Jill was too embarrassed to speak right away. How could Cliff stand this?_

"_Um…my name is Jill. I'm running the Crescent Moon Farm." She said through her blush._

"…_Cliff." He said shortly._

"…_oh." What was there to say now? Suddenly, she didn't feel like Carter gave her a particularly easy task. "Um—what do you do for a living?" Oh Goddess, this small talk was excruciating._

_Cliff didn't speak immediately, but Jill could feel the bench groan as he slumped back. "I'm not…working right now." Cliff's voice was soft, almost inaudible. Even just with those five words, his voice cracked from under use. And, most bothersome of all…_

…_his voice sounded miserable._

_It sounded like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders, and he couldn't hold it any longer. Like he was here, but only because he had nowhere else. Like…well…like he was lonely. A single tear slid down Jill's face. A tear just for the stranger who had hardly said anything._

"_Wha-? What's the matter?!" Cliff gasped._

_The single tear had changed into two, then three, and then they fell like the Goddess Lake waterfall._

"_I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what's come over me!" Jill sniffed. She didn't particularly want to cry, but it seemed to be happening anyway. "You-You just s-sound (hic) so sad!"_

"_But I'm not! Please don't cry." Cliff slipped a small square of cloth into Jill's hand. She dabbed her face with the handkerchief, just starting to calm down._

"_Look, you don't have to cry for me. I…I'm just—" Cliff sighed heavily, "I'm just going through a tough time right now. –But I'm okay!" he added quickly before Jill could start the water works again._

_Jill hiccupped one last time, then smiled, "good."_

"…_I come to the church everyday."_

"_Huh?"_

"_You asked what I did for a living, and that's pretty much the best answer I've got." He said with a slight lightness in his tone._

_Jill sat back. "I think that's wonderful. I'm sure that this is the best place to go when you don't know what to do." Jill turned quickly to Cliff "not that I think that you don't know what to do. I mean, unless that's what you think. I mean…uh…"_

_A low laugh erupted from Cliff. It was so loud and boisterous, Jill was sure that Carter had turned to stare at them. But she didn't really care—she was laughing just as hard. It was strange. With this boy, she'd been shy, sad, and incredibly high-spirited within the same day. But it felt completely natural._

"_Haha…I'm—heh—I'm sorry. That was rude, I shouldn't have laughed." Cliff said as he started calming down again._

_Jill grinned, "It's okay. It happens a lot."_

_Jill stood up from the pew. "It was great to meet you, but I've got to go now. See you later!" she said, waving as she walked away._

"_You too. See you again!" he shouted back._

Jill had visited Cliff often since then. He had many interesting stories about other towns far, far away. Apparently, Cliff was extremely well-traveled, but had set up camp in Mineral Town. Even so, Cliff hadn't found his way yet. He was jobless and hopeless. That miserable tone in his voice that she had initially sensed returned often, and he would occasionally talk about moving on to the next town.

Jill didn't want to see him leave.

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I've got more errands to run. Please tell Cliff I said hi." Jill said, starting to walk away.

"Very well, but he's going to be disappointed that you didn't stop by." Carter shouted back to her.

Jill froze. It would be rude wouldn't it? Maybe she should just stop by…

No. Every time she stopped to say hello to Cliff, something would happen. The last time, she was running errands, too. As soon as she told him that she had to leave, he stopped her and started telling a story about his expedition through the forests of China. She wasn't able to reach the supermarket before the time that it closed.

"Sorry! I've got to go!" She shouted over her shoulder, waving to Carter as she left.


	6. Sweet Moments

**ta-da! new chapter! just as a note, i'm not going to do this thing with every bachelor. i just felt like i wanted to give cliff some input, and of course since im the author i can do whatever i want :D oh, and i decided that i'm going to start doing the posting reviews thing, so here yall are**

**HmGirly12: haha i know! if the game were real and such, i know id just bite his head off for not spending enough time at home :P still tho, i think i have a thing for guys with ponytails...**

**fennecfox03: don't worry i will! how could i ever forget the doctor :) i think that's the next chapter tho...**

**MyShadowsThorn: i just feel like even tho rick is a dork, he deserves to have some part in the story :) his expressions are so weird tho...anyway, like i said, doctor chapter is next, i think, but kai chapter wont be coming for a while. its kinda hard to write about him when he's not there...**

**Awesome Rapidash: thanks! oh, and ya, i generally update once a week :-)**

**Suri-Garasu: hehe thanks! i always get kinda annoyed when characters go all OOC on ya, so i try to keep the stories close to what the actual characters would feel or do. it means a lot that you noticed :D**

**...i just noticed. i write a TON of smileys. force of habit i guess. OH, i just gotta put this in here. has anyone seen the fullmetal alchemist movie? i just saw it yesterday, and it freakin BLEW MY MIND!!! i was on the edge of my seat the whole time :D well, on with the story**

Searching for a Light in the Darkness

Cliff stared out the window of the church, watching Jill walk away. He couldn't help but feel a little dejected that she didn't stop and say hi. Didn't she know that Cliff was here everyday, just sitting and talking to Carter? Cliff sighed as Jill's golden hair swayed behind her while she walked.

She was the most beautiful person that he had ever seen. He had known it ever since the first day that he met her.

"_Cliff, this is Jill. She's new to the town, like you. I think you two should get to know each other." Carter said, before seating the girl and walking away._

_Cliff looked up at the girl. She was small, and her baggy overalls made her look even smaller. She had long, hay-colored hair that went past her waist. Her face was clear and shining, with full lips and bright eyes. But there was something strange about her eyes. They looked straight at him, but it's like they looked straight through him._

"_Isn't this church peaceful? Do you come here a lot?" She said, turning to the opposite wall._

"…_I'm over here" Cliff whispered. Guess that explains why her eyes didn't really focus on him—she was blind._

"_Oh! Sorry!" She turned back and blushed deeply. He didn't know why she was so embarrassed, it's not like she could help it. Cliff was the one that wasn't saying anything. _

_But how could he speak to her? What was he supposed to say to the beautiful creature seated beside him? It's not as if he could just start small talking._

"_uh…I'm Jill. I'm running the Crescent Moon Farm." She said awkwardly._

_Apparently, small talk was all they had. Wishing for something profound to come to him, he blurted, "I'm Cliff."_

"_Oh…"_

_She must think he's the dullest guy on earth! He really couldn't think of anything to say other than 'I'm Cliff'? Why could he talk to Carter so easily, while he could barely speak to this girl? He had to strike up a conversation quick._

"_Um…what do you do for a living?" Jill asked._

_Oh Goddess! Now she gets to find out what a loser Cliff was?! Just perfect._

"_I'm not…working right now." He muttered._

_It's not like he hasn't tried to get a job. He stopped by the supermarket, the inn, even Yodel Ranch. None of them could hire him. The town was small, so they didn't get enough business to pay him. By this point, he had pretty much lost hope. He was jobless, desperate, and broke. What was he supposed to do?_

_A sniff coming from Jill jolted him out of his daze. Her clear, blue eyes were leaking like a river, her shining face becoming slightly blotchy. _

"_Wha-what's wrong?" Cliff gasped. _

"_I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what's come over me!" Her blotchy skin flushed into a deeper red, "You-You just s-sound (hic) so sad!"_

_Cliff was taken aback. Did he make her cry? He'd never made anyone cry before in his life. What did he do?_

"_B-but I'm not sad! Please don't cry." He said, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressing it into Jill's hand. She sniffed again and buried her face in the white hankie. _

"_Look, you don't have to cry for me. I…I'm just—" Cliff sighed heavily, "I'm just going through a tough time right now. –But I'm okay!" he added quickly before Jill could start the water works again._

_Jill hiccupped one last time, then smiled, "good."_

_This girl was definitely different. A complete stranger, Jill shed tears easily for Cliff. Suddenly, he had something to say._

"…_I come to the church everyday."_

"_Huh?" She raised her clear eyes to his face._

"_You asked what I did for a living, and that's pretty much the best answer I've got." He said brushing the back of his neck out of embarrassment. She probably thought that he was a loser, now that she knew what he did. It wasn't even a job…_

"_I think that's wonderful." She said, smiling at him. "I'm sure that this is the best place to go when you don't know what to do…not that I think that you don't know what to do. I mean, unless that's what you think. I mean…uh…"_

_A low rumbling erupted from Cliff's throat. Was he…laughing? When was the last time he had laughed? Small drops of moisture appeared in his eyes. When had he ever laughed this hard? It wasn't even funny…was it? Well it definitely wasn't polite._

_Cliff looked at Jill. To his amusement, she was chuckling along with him. The girls around town—especially Ann—probably would have gotten mad at him for laughing at them._

_This girl was definitely different…_

And she definitely was. She was proud, but humble at the same time. She always seemed like she needed help, but she never asked for it nor accepted it. She was quiet, but fun. All in all, she had a depth that was different…that set her apart from the other girls.

He had noticed, and he was sure that everyone else noticed. Naturally, everyone treated her with respect and friendliness, but there were differences. The girls for the most part acted like her friend, but they were hesitant around her, almost like they feared her…or hated her, even.

The boys acted in the opposite. They jumped to attention when she was around, as if they suddenly came alive when she walked through the door. And when she left, they became inanimate again. Cliff was no different. As she walked farther and farther away, he felt his heart sink farther and farther into his stomach.

That's just the effect she had on people, and she never noticed. Cliff wasn't sure if it was just that she was blind, or if she was dense. Either way, she treated everyone the same, whether they were male, female, friend, or foe. This made Cliff both respect her…

…and want her more.


	7. Meeting Doctor Tim

**here we go, another new chapter :D this one, of course, features the doctor. ok, on to reviews:**

**hajischavalier12: awww, ur so nice. and you make me so happy its a really HUGE compliment to know that my story has become your favorite!**

**Awesome Rapidash: ya, ya, cliff has the hotts for jill. i admit, while i was writing it, a felt kinda bad that i was making cliff seem so pathetic ;; but i want to make him into a crazy love-sick fool, so there it is!**

**fennecfox03: haha, thanks! I'll try! oh, and thankss for commenting on all my chapters :D**

**Flaming Black Skull: ok, i seriously loved your review!!! good to know that its on ur faves. but i feel kinda bad that everyone is so love-struck...and i also feel kinda bad that i wont let Jill notice any of the guys in particular lol**

**Momo-chan 12: holy crap! thanks for reviewing every. single. one. of. my. chapters. seriously, that was really nice :) yup, ill be sure to add some input into the other girls' thoughts on jill!!**

**HmGirly12: haha i know! my secret to updating is writing a whole bunch whenever you feel the inspiriation. right now, i think i have like 15 chapters total on HM, but i don't want to put them in at once because, lets face it, i want the reviews :D so, ya, cliff-bashing. ill admit he is pretty pathetic without me making it worse, but hes just so gowddam hott!!!! anyway, i kinda sorta sometimes feel that way about farmerxgray stories,too, so i know what you mean**

**so authors note stuff...im getting a nintendo ds for christmas, and i was looking for games that would be fun. im getting hm rune factory for sure, and i almost got hm for ds. the reason i didn't was because HM DS Cute (the girl version) is ggoing to come out within the first four months of next year. i know, im sooo excited!!! so i didn't want to waste the money in getting the guy version, so ill just buy it when it comes out. also, i found out that "jill" is the auto-name for the brunette farmer in the magical melody (or whatever it was) verson of the game, and "claire" is the auto-name for mfomt. who knew? so, yes, i got the name wrong. im refering to the blonde farmer, but im using the wrong name. sorry, guys. ive never played any of the gamecube versions, so i really didn't know -.-**

**anyway, on whith the story!!!**

"Hello, Elli." Jill said as she walked through the door of the clinic.

"Today's Wednesday. Elli's at her grandmother's house," A low, placid voice answered back to her from a back room of the clinic.

"Oh, um…my mistake." Jill said, blushing and running a hand through her hair embarrassedly.

Doctor Tim walked into the reception room, "how are you today, Jill?"

She grinned, "not bad, how about you?"

"Hn, can't complain. Did you need anything from the clinic today?"

Jill was by far the best patient that Tim had. Because of her blindness, she constantly ran into things, tripped over things, and basically hurt herself in any way. During the first couple of seasons when she arrived, he could always count on her strolling in with a fresh bruise or cut that she wanted examined.

"Well, I was passing by and I figured that I could use some herbs. Do you mind selling me a couple?" She tilted her head to the side and smiled. It seemed to be an old habit of hers, probably as a result of neural transmitters in the left lobe of her brain.

It was charming.

Tim sighed and put his hands on his hips, "I've told you, haven't I? Those herbs are hardly effective. You'd be better off just buying a Bodigizer or a Turbojolt."

She looked down, "well…I would, but I just don't have the money right now." She absentmindedly kicked the dust on the floor.

He sighed again. "Very well. Wait here and I'll get you some."

As he walked closer and closer to the storage room, Tim's distaste for the herbs grew. They were highly ineffective, and only useful for lacing a Bodigizer. The only reason that he had started carrying the herbs was for her.

"_Hello? Is this the clinic?" _

"_Yes, it is. May I help you?" Elli asked the stranger, undoubtedly looking up from her homemaking magazine._

"_I-I think I need to talk to the doctor. I don't know what's wrong with me." The girl sounded worried._

_Tim heard Elli gasp, and then say quickly "Yes-Yes of course! I'll get him right away! DOCTOR!"_

_He looked up quickly and saw Elli leading a young, blonde girl through the doorway. Tim noticed right away how her eyes didn't dilate to the change in light. She was blind._

_And bleeding. A fresh gash was cut into the palm of her right hand. Judging by the amount of blood hemorrhaging from her hand, she had been cut about a half hour ago. It was a miracle that she hadn't fainted._

"_Put her in the chair, Elli. I'll get some bandages and some stitches." Tim said, leaping up and dashing to the store room._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Ten minutes of confused, heavy bleeding passed. Tim had successfully been able to make the girl stop hemorrhaging enough to where he could stitch her up without causing serious damage._

"_So how did this happen?" He said, threading the wire through a thin needle._

_The girl looked down. "I was trying to cut some weeds, and well…" she raised her hand, "you know the rest."_

_Tim nodded, grabbing her hand, "I need you to hold still."_

"_For wha—OW" she grabbed her hand back as soon as the needle penetrated her skin. "That hurt."_

_Tim frowned, "of course it hurt, it's a needle. Now give me back your hand so that I can stitch it up." She hesitated. "NOW."_

_The blonde pouted and extended her arm, muttering, "you could have at least warned me."_

_Tim smiled to himself as he watched the girl wince each time he drew the needle into her skin. She was tough. Many people would have demanded an anesthetizing solution to make their hand numb. Tim finished the stitch and started wrapping bandages around her palm and through her digits. _

"_and what is your name?" Tim asked, securing the bandage._

"_Jill. I'm running the Crescent Moon Farm." She extended her fingers, and then curled them into a fist, testing to see whether her hand would be permanently damaged, "You did a good job, Doctor--?"_

"_Doctor Tim. Thanks for the compliment. Elli can take care of your bill." Tim straightened from where he was crouching over Jill's hand._

"…_how much was it?" The girl asked tentatively._

_Tim walked back to his desk and sorted through a few papers. "Not too much. About 400g," he said nonchalantly. _

_Her head lowered, as a cloud seemed to appear above her head. Miserably, she whispered, "all I have is 200g."_

_Tim sighed slightly. "Very well. I can put the rest on a tab for you."_

_The girl looked up quickly. To Tim's surprise, she was beaming, "Really? Thank you!" She leapt out of her seat, "That's a relief. I thought you might have had to sever the whole hand." She grinned again._

_Tim could barely speak out of his shock. Weren't people usually reluctant to have a tab?_

_He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Yes, um, very good. Just be sure to take it easy on that hand for the next two weeks at least."_

_The blind girl nodded, "I will. Thanks again." She shouted before walking off to Elli's desk to settle the account._

Tim had felt guilty ever since then that he had made her pay the full price. It was a slow day, and the supplies that he used were cheap. Would it really have hurt to give her a discount. She probably gave him every cent that she had, too.

The girl had returned many times, with the gash in her palm sliced open again. She always promised to take it easy, but two days later she would show up at the clinic apologizing for working it too hard. Tim was definitely impressed. Maybe it was because she didn't know how serious that cut could get, but she never stopped working. Even now, a white streak blemished her palm…

a memento of their first meeting…

Tim grabbed a few herbs from the storage room, and started walking back to the blonde. She often came into the clinic with other bruises and gashes, and he always helped her. Over time, her tab had grown handsomely. He never brought it up, though. Even though she did her best to repay as much as she could, she could have no idea of the extremity of her balance. And she didn't need to know…

"how much would you like?" Tim asked.

Jill put her forefinger on her chin, looking at the ground thoughtfully, "umm…how much can 100g get me?"

"two herbs. I'll even throw in a third one." Tim strode to Elli's desk and started wrapping them up.

"…no. I'll pay for three. If you really don't want to charge me for the third one, then you could put the 50g towards my tab." The farmer twirled a lock of golden hair around her finger.

Tim nodded. Little did she know that that 50g hardly made a ripple in her account. "Very well." He pressed the small package into her hand.

"Thanks, Tim." She smiled that enchanting, engaging smile, "I'll see you again soon."

Tim smiled and nodded, "looking forward to it."

With that, she turned around, and left.

Tim returned to his office and sat at his desk, looking at the many journals and medical reports on his desk. Back to the same, dull, mundane routine.

Until next week.


	8. The Supermarket and Jill's Thoughts

**Hey guys, back with another chapter! but first, the reviews :D**

**fennecfox03: haha you like the doctor? me too :) i feel like people don't give him enough credit tho...**

**Awesome Rapidash: ya, i just noticed that i made a lot of the guys give jill discounts. they all just want to take care of her :)**

**hajischavalier12: thanks!! i always figured that tim was the 'adult' out of the group. it makes me kinda nervous because, i mean, how am i supposed to get him to go to fun festivals and stuff?! anyway thanks for the review**

**carlmuz: always happy to see a new reviewer :D**

**let me just say now, i am so disappointed in the number of reviews :( you all should be ashamed slaps wrists oh yeah, but uh don't let that stop yall from reviewing from now on...please? O:-) i be good. so lets see. no flashbacks in this chapter. when i was writing it, i was like "omg nothings happening! all im doing is making references to stuff that already happened, ive got to do something" ironically, in order to avoid another flashback sequence, i made a chapter in which very little happens. weird. butt anyway, this is just kind of a summary of how jill feels about everyone in mineral town. also, for those of you who aren't really fully familiar with the game, this is kind of a little description of all the bachelors and bacheloretts. enjoy, and look for a little bit of angst in the next chapter :D**

Jill repositioned her rucksack uneasily. With the rewards of her errand running today, she only had one space left for a bag of seeds. She sighed, that new, bigger rucksack was desperately needed, but it cost 3500g.

And Jill only had about 500g left…

"Hey Karen." Jill opened the door to the supermarket.

A cool, sweet voice answered back, "Hey! What's up?"

Jill grinned, "I need a couple of turnip seeds. It's 300g for two bags, right?"

"That's right."

Jill nodded and started digging through her purse, searching for the money. You could say that Karen was a friend, but that would probably be stretching the truth. It wasn't like they were distanced, but something kept them from becoming really great friends. Jill shook her head, that sounded silly.

"Here you go." Jill held out her fist, clutching the right amount of money.

Karen accepted the money, and replaced it with a two bags of seeds, "Come again."

Jill nodded and lowered her bulging rucksack to the floor. Careful not to rip the paper bags containing the seeds, she struggled to find a place for them.

Karen laughed lightly, "ever consider getting a bigger backpack?"

Jill chuckled, "oh, I've considered. I just can't right now."

The supermarket daughter grunted in comprehension. It wasn't exactly a surprise to any of the townspeople that a farm doesn't bring in a lot of cash. Jill was sure that all of Mineral Town knew that she was short on cash.

But they didn't know how short, Jill thought, shouldering her rucksack again. 200g wasn't going to buy very much.

"Thanks, Karen, I'll see you later." Jill smiled and waved as she walked out the door.

All Karen said was a quick "bye" before going back to her work.

Jill walked down the cobblestone road as she thought about all the villagers in town. Of course, all the older people were kind. And the kids of the town weren't hard to get along with either. It was her own generation, the people in their late teens and early twenties, that were confusing. Scratch that, it was the women in her age group that were confusing. All of the men of Mineral Town were completely hospitable and very friendly. The girls, though…

Jill counted on her fingers while she walked. There was Popuri, Ann, Karen, Elli, and Mary.

Popuri and Jill had been instant friends, ever since the pink-haired girl had helped Jill recover from a violent chicken attack. All in all, she was sweet and carefree. Maybe even childish at times. Even so, Jill counted herself lucky to have her as a friend.

Ann, the daughter of the owner of the local inn, was Jill's second greatest friend. Not second as in second best, but second as in the second close friend that Jill made in Mineral Town. From the moment Jill first walked into the inn, Ann had welcomed her warmly with a free meal. Ever since, they hit it off splendidly. She was definitely not as girly as Potpourri, but she was just as spunky. Always the tomboy, Ann was the sort of person who would rather go outside and run around rather than stay inside and go shopping.

Karen, however, wasn't a best friend. Although no harsh words were ever exchanged between the two, Jill and Karen just never hit it off. Every time Jill walked into the supermarket, it just felt so awkward. That's strange, because Karen was a city girl like Jill. They should have had a lot in common, right? Well, either way, Karen was cool and mellow usually. That was only during the day, though. At night she had a reputation for going to the inn and buying a ton of wine, or so Jill heard.

Elli was the nurse at the clinic with Doctor Tim. She was always the helpful, motherly type, but Jill never felt completely comfortable around her. There was something behind her helpfulness, almost like her being caring was a duty instead of a character trait. She also seemed extremely impatient, because every time Jill would dawdle at the clinic, talking to Tim, Elli promptly shooed her out. 'There are other people in the clinic who need help too, don't tie up the doctor'. Again, it was strange that Elli and Jill never hit it off; Jill got along so well with Elli's grandmother, Ellen, and little brother, Stu.

Lastly, Mary ran the library of Mineral town. Jill honestly couldn't get a real reading on her. There was no animosity, but there was no warmth between them either. Jill kind of blamed herself for that though. She couldn't exactly read, so she never stopped by the library to say hello. Jill knew that Mary was a shy, bookish type, though. From what Gray told her, Mary was also in the process of writing a book. Jill shook her head. Would it really kill her to go in once in a while and ask how the book is going?

Those were the girls of Mineral Town, each with their own personalities. It wasn't like Jill could divide them between people she liked and people she didn't like—each one gave a different vibe.

The guys of Mineral Town were almost opposite to the girls. Each one had his own personality, of course, but they all treated Jill kindly and generously. Jill counted on her fingers: Rick, Gray, Cliff, Doctor, and Kai. Hey, there were five guys in her age group, too. Five girls, five guys. Weird…

Anyway, Rick was the first out of the five to meet Jill. Kind, generous, hard working, and completely obsessed with chickens was the right way to describe him. He and Jill always joked around with each other. Always the riot, Rick could help Jill with any problems she had with the chickens. She got the feeling that Rick didn't appreciate her chicken jokes, though…

Gray was the blacksmith's apprentice. He was introverted and always quiet, but he was sweet at the same time. Intent on living up to his grandfather's high standards, Jill admired Gray greatly, even if he did falter occasionally.

Cliff is definitely shy, but once you get to know him, he's the most interesting person you've ever met. It seemed like he'd been around the world. It was always great to hear his stories about China or India. He was lost, though. He spent his time at the church because he was too…well, scared to go out and get a job. Not to mention, he had started thinking about moving on to another town…

Doctor Tim was, naturally, Mineral Town's doctor. He was always ready to go out and help anyone in need. Often, he accompanied Lilia to festivals because she had sneezed or something the day before. Although he often seemed cold, Jill knew that Tim was sweet and passionate about his job. He also acted much more mature and sophisticated than his age would suggest. The conversations between him and Jill were those of a higher sort, intellectually speaking.

Finally, Kai. What to say about Kai…he only arrived in Mineral Town during the summer. Of course, this meant that Jill didn't know him as well as she did the other guys. Kai was the type of person who didn't care what people thought about him. He worked hard, but he had the character that fit into a city night club scene. A lot of the other guys put him down, though, because he had a way with women. But that was just who he was.

In a nutshell, those were the singles in Mineral Town. Each had their own flavor—their own story, and Jill loved to learn about them.

Jill stopped, arriving at a place where the cobblestone road gave way to a cinderblock set of stairs—the inn.

Might as well go blow her last 200g away.


End file.
